XATURAL HISrORY OCERIES 
191 
659. Owls and Lambs. — An interesting controversy is being waged in 
West Cumberland as to whether or not owls kill lambs. The supporters of the 
Fell Foxhounds assert that all the lambs slain on the hills are not killed by 
Reynard, but that some are victims of the owl. Bird-lovers, on the other hand, 
maintain that the owl is not guilty of the charge. 
660. Thrushes. — Referring to my inquiry about thrushes knocking empty 
beech-nuts on the hard ground, perhaps I now have some clue to the habit, for 
my friend has since observed the birds similarly dealing with shells containing 
snails. In “ Observations on Birds,” in White’s “ Selborne,” it is stated that 
thrushes will during a long drought feed their young on garden snails. 
[Almost every dweller in the country must have seen thrushes breaking snails’ 
shells, but this hardly explains their treatment of empty beech-nuts. — Ed. N.IV.] 
661. Snake Venom. — A remarkable instance of the transmission of 
snake venom is reported from Melbourne. A snake bit a dog, which, before 
dying, bit a man. The latter was treated in the hospital, where he showed all 
the symptoms of snake-poisoning, but was recovering. 
662. Moth Sembling. — The sembling of moths referred to in No. 561, 
is a well-known habit in certain kinds. Mr. Lewis informs us that a number of 
male vapourer moths searched up wind for a female on a tray in his window, 
and comes to the conclusion that as she was wingless and unable to communicate 
with them by wing-vibrations, they had traced her by the diffusion of some odoui. 
This is the usual interpretation of such a case, and nut an improbable one. 
There is, however, another means of communication among insects, and that is 
giving out sounds, without using their wings, that are inaudible to human ears. 
The microphone discloses to us the trumpeting of the house-fly as it moves its 
proboscis, and the noise of its feet as of a horse trotting. The study of insects 
with the aid of a microphone would greatly enlarge our knowledge of their means 
of communication with one another. Ed.mun'd Thos. Daubeny. 
NATURAL HISTORY QUERIES. 
153. Alder-seed. — In giving the children object-lessons, one sometimes 
leaves an unanswered riddle to be pondered during the ensuing week. Can you 
help me to answer this one? How are the seeds of the alder dispersed ? 
Lord Avebury has a list, in his book on “ Flowers, Fruit and Leaves,” of 
thirty-three genera of British trees, shrubs and climbers, of which twenty have 
edible fruit, nine winged and three hairy, leaving only the alder unaccounted for. 
Perhaps the seed should be reckoned among the edibles, as I believe it is 
eaten by redpolls and siskins. J. E. Kelsall. 
[As the redpolls and siskins are essentially granivorous birds, and are there- 
fore, I presume, possessed of muscular seed-crushing gizzards, they can hardly 
form an efficient means of dispersal for alder seed. Professor Groom, in his 
excellent “Trees and their Life-histories,” says the “cone-like collection of fruits, 
though ripe in September or October, usually remains closed during the ensuing 
winter. In spring the scales gape asunder but do not fall, and the little flat 
closed fruits are blown about by the wind.” The tree is then leafless and these 
“ indehiscent ” fruits, though not winged, like those of the allied Birches, arc, 
it is to be noted, flattened. — Eu. A^. A^.] 
154. Fall of Beech-mast. — Passing under a large beech tree near Lich- 
field a fortnight ago (August 13), I was surprised by a terrific shower of beech- 
mast. There was no wind. It had been dry weather for some time, but misty 
at night. I could see nothing alive in the tree. The shower lasted for perhaps 
a minute. I gathered all the nuts, which contained, without exception, empty 
husks. No more nuts fell during the next fortnight. 
Can any reader explain the reason of the sudden shower ? 
148, Accrington Road, Flora E. IIitchen. 
Blackburn, Lancs., August 29, 1908. 
